Errors in Keris Literature

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

For sometime now, we had mentioned many a time, when taking reference from Keris books, take it with a pinch of salt. This is due to the fact that there are errors found in these books.

Our fellow collector ganjawulung had given some interesting points to ponder on:

Let's discuss, please.

Dear Shahrial,
Thanks for posting this thread. Anyway, I prefer not to say it as "error" (right or wrong), but "it could mislead" to the readers. And as you just said, I will provide my arguments of disagreement of that writings, based on my capasity of "collector" as you (Shahrial) mentioned. And not as a scientist. I don't base this comments on certain scientific research...

Majapahit (1294-1478), according to me, is not the oldest era of keris making in Indonesia. Maybe older than Singasari (older than 1222, the foundation of Singasari kingdom by Ken Arok). When? It is not my capacity to prove, when did the keris making first begin.

I just base my simple "belief" to a simple non-scientific fact. What is the common thought of Javanese people everytime he heard about keris? Mostly will say: "keris empu gandring"... And not "keris majapahit". Was the "keris empu gandring" real or not, that is not the point.

This "keris empu gandring" story, is living in the mind of mostly Indonesian until now, if someone mentions the word "keris". Commoners, usually say: "Ah, keris empu Gandring"...If someone shows a keris in front of him or her.

This is a story on Ken Arok (then the first king of Singasari King Rajasa) from ancient book "Pararaton", quoted from "Menuju Puncak Kemegahan, Sejarah Kerajaan Majapahit" (Toward the top of Glory, History of Majapahit) by Prof Dr Slamet Muljana -- a (late) local historian.

Brahmana (Hindu priest) Lohgawe came to Jawa riding three pieces of "kakatang" (I don't know in English) leaves. He was sent by god Brahma to search a person called Ken Arok. The characteristics of Ken Arok was: he has long hands, longer than his knee, and on his right palm hand was a figure or design with mystical properties of "cakra" (Wishnu's arrow), and he had a sign in his left hand, figure of cockle shell... Why Ken Arok? Because, Lohgawe believed that Ken Arok was reincarnation of Wishnu. Brahmana Lohgawe then went to a village called, Taloka. And found a person that had such characteristics in a gambling-den...

Lohgawe then brought Ken Arok to Akuwu (village administrative official in charge of water) Tunggul Ametung in Tumapel (located in East Java now) to ask the akuwu, to employ Ken Arok as his servant. Then, it was happened.

(Interpretation: there were a discontent toward the King of Kediri, Kertajaya. Because the King had asked all brahmana priest to worship Kertajaya as if he was Shiwa. Lohgawe planned a rebellion via a (phisically) strong man, to overthrow the king)

Tunggul Ametung, at that time, had a very beautiful wife named as Ken Dedes. She was pregnant, and wanted to take a walk in Boboji garden. Ken Dedes was very famous of her beauty in the eastern part of Mount Kawi, east Jawa.

When Ken Dedes came down from her carriage in Boboji garden, Ken Arok saw "glittering light" from "the very secret part" of Ken Dedes' body. Ken Arok fell in love with the pregnant wife of Tunggul Ametung. Upon returning from Bobji, Ken Arok told Lohgawe what he had seen in Boboji. Then Lohgawe responsed, "A woman that shines her secret, is a true special woman. Anybody who married her, will become great king...,"

Ken Arok then met his adopted father, Bango Samparan in Karuman, to ask for opinion about the desire of killing Tunggul Ametung, and "snatch" Ken Dedes as his wife. Bango Samparan asked Ken Arok to go to Lulumbang, to meet a keris smith, who was very famous at that time and believed to endowed with magical power -- named as Empu Gandring. Empu Gandring is an old friend of Bango Samparan.

Ken Arok, then commissioned a keris to him, and might be finished in five months. But, Empu Gandring said, not five months, but a year... But Ken Arok was firmed with his wish, might be finished in five months.

After five months, Ken Arok came again to Lulumbang, and saw that the keris blade was not finished yet. Ken Arok was angry, and killed Empu Gandring with the unfinished keris. The dying empu then said: Ken Arok and his seven descents would be killed with this keris...

Ken Arok then showed the keris to his old friend, Kebo Ijo and asked him to keep the keris with handle of "cangkring" wood (probably branch of bamboo, in latin Erythrina subumbrans). And then, everybody knew that the keris with cangkring handle, belonged to Kebo Ijo.

Until one day, Ken Arok stole his keris from Kebo Ijo, and killed Akuwu Tunggul Ametung with the keris. And people then accused Kebo Ijo, believed to killl Tunggul Ametung. Kebo Ijo was killed with "his" own keris from Empu Gandring.

After the killing of Tunggul Ametung, then Ken Arok became new Akuwu of Tumapel, and married to the pregnant and beautiful wife of Tunggul Ametung. (According to other source of old book, Negarakertagama that was quoted by Mr Slamet Muljana, it happened at Saka 1104 year, or 1182 CE). After a couple of time, Ken Arok made rebellion and defeated the king of Kediri. And then, Ken Arok united the two kingdom at that time, Jenggala and Kediri in a new kingdom of Singasari. According to Pararaton, it was dated as Saka 1144 or 1222 CE. Ken Arok then became the first king of Singasari, with formal name of Rajasa.

Ken Arok, was killed then, by the son of Ken Dedes (from Tunggul Ametung), Anusapati. King Anusapati was killed by the son of Ken Dedes (from Ken Arok), Tohjaya... That was just story.

If the story was really happened, then maybe keris making was begun in the earliar time of Singasari. But of course, not begin in Majapahit era... That is just my simple understanding...

Ganjawulung

[PenangsangII]

Pak Ganja, I cant agree more. Keris must have pre-dated Singhasari. What about during Shailendra empire? Was there any records about keris then?

Penangsang

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by PenangsangII

Pak Ganja, I cant agree more. Keris must have pre-dated Singhasari. What about during Shailendra empire? Was there any records about keris then?

Penangsang

Dear Penangsang,
It needs archeological research on that. But there are some pictures of "supposed to be the earlieast form" of keris in Candi (temple) Borobudur in Central Jawa (9th century) and also Prambanan temple (in Yogyakarta) and Panataran in east Java. (See pictures).

Some people believed, that the earliest form of keris, was dhapur "jalak budo" (compare the form in the picture, with the form of 'keris' in the relief). Old jalak budo, some of them, believed to come from Singasari era or older...

Ganjawulung

[Alam Shah]

Let me put it in simpler terms...

My understanding are as follows:

- Majapahit, is not the earliest kingdom with keris... (most of us know this, I presume).

- When one refers to Majapahit keris, first think that comes to mind are standard size kerisses and not 'sajen' types.

- Malay beliefs are different from Javanese beliefs... although in some cases there are similarities. To cover the various belief systems would require a deep understanding of these cultures/races... long ago till current,... which I do not possess... I only know a little on the cultures/races that I'm interested in.

The book "The Keris and Other Malay Weapons" is a compilation of facts, popular beliefs, folklore and other misc items which were not widely researched, at that time. Although the (1996) is reprint 16, it was made if was done without reviewing the data contained in it.

Originally Posted by A.G. Maisey

Throughout history the keris has been different things to different people. Different groups of people have had different beliefs, and different names for the keris, and its parts.

This, I'm well-aware of. It had been repeated plenty of times, which I agree.

Originally Posted by A.G. Maisey

As far as getting lost along the way, I personally think we are all pretty much wandering like blind men in the wilderness. Occasionally one may stumble across something that is perhaps more or less true in some given context, but for the most part the true essence of the keris is possibly lost beyond recall.

I guess putting up this thread is quite meaning-less, then...
Perhaps I've used the wrong term, 'errors'. I'm no longer interested to discuss about the 'error' or 'misleading' any further. However, Pak Ganja, please continue to input more info...

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

...Ken Arok, was killed then, by the son of Ken Dedes (from Tunggul Ametung), Anusapati. King Anusapati was killed by the son of Ken Dedes (from Ken Arok), Tohjaya...

Correction (this is really an error):
... King Anusapati was killed by the son of Ken Umang (instead of Ken Dedes). Umang was the concubine-wife of Ken Arok...

Ganjawulung

[A. G. Maisey]

This is all very interesting, but we are not doing what this thread set out to do.

As I understand it, we set out to identify something with which we currently disagree, that was written by one of these early authors.

To do this I submit that we should provide the quote from the author's work so that there can be no misunderstanding of exactly what was written, and then put forward our reasons for disagreement.

From what has been posted to date to this thread, I think that perhaps a broad ranging general position has been taken that some early authors were incorrect in believing that the implement which they referred to as a "keris Majapahit" was the earliest form of keris.This is not a specific disagreement with the work of a specific author, but rather a disagreement with what was a generally held belief some years ago.

However, so that we can get on with what we set out to do, let's get this Majapahit business out of the way first. Or at least try to.

When we attempt to come to an understanding of early keris, we are involving ourselves in a very complex and difficult field.

Some years ago I wrote an article on keris origins. In writing this I drew on weapon forms in reliefs at Candi Prambanan . In these reliefs we can find representations of weapons which have a blade form that at the present time we would refer to as a "Keris Buda". Prambanan dates from around 856AD.

However, although we can identify in the Prambanan reliefs a blade form that bears recognisable characteristics of the Modern Keris, we cannot with any certainty claim that the so-called "Keris Majapahit" form did not exist at the same time, or prior to the 9th century AD.

It may not have existed, but equally, it may have existed. We simply do not know.

To take issue with the name "Keris Majapahit" is quite pointless. This is just a name, the same as the name "Keris Buda" is just a name. When we call a keris a "Keris Buda", we are not saying it was the keris used by Buddhists, any more than when we call a keris a "Keris Majapahit" we are saying it was the keris used in the Majapahit era. These are simply classifications, similar to the tangguh classifications, some of which really do relate to a kingdom or era, others of which do not.The tangguh system is a system of classification, and the terms "Keris Majapahit", and "Keris Buda" do form an adjunct to this system.

What we think of as a "keris" in the year 2007, that is, the Modern Keris, appeared after the Javanese Early Classical Period, and was in existence when Candi Panataran ( 1197-1354) was built.

It existed during the Majapahit era, and may have existed prior to Majapahit.

The implements with keris-like blades that we can find on Candi Prambanan were very probably one of the contributing influences to the origin of the Modern Keris, but I think it is obvious that these implements were not the only contributing factor to the birth of the Modern Keris.

The old literary sources are not a lot of use in supporting an argument that the Modern Keris was in existence earlier that the 14th Century.

Certainly, the Pararaton tells the Mpu Gandring legend, but the Pararaton was written in the 16th Century, and related a legend that referred to events which took place 300 years earlier.

Then there is the Nagarakertagama by Rakawi Prapanca of Majapahit, and it dates from the 14th Century.

These old literary sources do use words in their texts that have been translated as "keris", but regrettably we do not know that the original words in the original texts referred to implements that we would classify as a Modern Keris.

Based upon the existing evidence, all we can say with reasonable certainty is this:- the Modern Keris appeared some time after the close of the Early Classical Period, and some time before the completion of Candi Panataran. That is, the Modern Keris made its appearance between about 1000AD, and about 1300AD.

However, we do not have any evidence at all to demonstrate that the implement known as a "Keris Majapahit" did not exist at a time prior to the appearance of the Modern Keris.

Incidentally, in spite of claims to the contrary, there is no representation of a blade form bearing keris-like characteristics in the reliefs of Candi Borobudur. Borobudur was a Buddhist structure; Prambanan was a Hindu complex. The implements which appear on Prambanan, and which bear keris-like characteristics are purely Hindu in origin.

Pak Ganja, the picture of the relief from Panataran with a monkey warrior about to stab an enemy with a large, straight keris-like dagger is a falsification.The blade in this image has been retouched to make it appear assymetrical. If you visit Panataran you will find that this blade is symetrical. Below is an image of what this carving really looks like; it is not all that clear, because of the weathering, but I think you will probably be able to see that the blade base is in fact symmetrical.

Alam Shah, no, on the contrary, I do not consider this thread meaningless. It has a definite potential value, however, if that value is to be realised then let us proceed as you suggested:- point by point and in an analytical fashion. If we are to analyse, then we must first have something that has been positively identified, to analyse. To achieve this end I suggest that a statement with which we cannot agree, and made by one of these writers, be identified, and we proceed to put our own case against the correctness of this statement. Let us address this matter with a little discipline. I repeat:- it does have potential value.

[A. G. Maisey]

Yeah, lousy pic. Not at all clear. Try this one. If its no good you'll have to go to Panataran yourself and have a look at it.

[ganjawulung]

Thanks, Alan, for giving your valuable time to make this discussion developping. I will try to follow the rules you proposed, even though I have limited ability in expressing all what I think, in English.

The main disagrement for me, is the "stand point" view about comparing kerises. As if the small size keris that is called as "keris majapahit" in this book, is the "stand point" of comparison. This quotation below, is the "earliest" sentence that mentioned "keris majapahit" in this book. Let's start discuss with this...

(AH Hill first article, under title "The Keris and Other Malay Weapons". Please see page 4)

2. Types of blade
Keris blades vary considerably in shape and size. Original keris majapahit blades are only six or seven inches long and must have been almost useless for fighting. Yet one would have thought that it they were used only as charms there must have a still earlier keris of proper utilitarian value for their efficacy to be recognized. No such prototype weapon has ever been found. Indeed, as will be shown later, all the evidence there is goes to show that the keris was a new type of weapon in the thirteenth century. The rapier-like keris panjang of Sumatera and the sword-like keris sundang of Celebes, adaptations of the normal keris for special purposes, are sometimes over two feet long from handle to tip. If extreme like these are excluded the length of the normal keris blade may be taken as twelve to sixteen inches...

(Comment -- For mostly Indonesians, the word "keris majapahit" with the connotation of this very small size keris, will be confusing. Keris majapahit -- in the mind of Indonesian -- is keris that came or supposed to be made, or that has style of they believed to be keris from Majapahit kingdom era. The word "keris majapahit" to mention that small keris, is "unknown" in Indonesia. That kind of small keris, in Indonesia known as "keris sajen" or "keris for offering"...)

Ganjawulung

[PenangsangII]

Sampurasun all kerislovers, and salam hormat!

Thank you Alan for the pictures of the sculptures. If you dont mind telling me the probablity that the sculptures were actually made by artisans imported from India, instead of the locals.

Even after WWII, many countries imported experts from abroad in making kingdom supported sculptures. A good example in Malaysia is the "Tugu Negara", built in memorium of the soldiers sacrifices in combatting the communist terrorists. However, since the artist was imported from the U.S., the sculptures of the Malaysian soldiers look more caucasians than southeastern statures.

In a way, I was thinking, maybe the keris like objects depicted in Borobudur and Prambanan temples were actually the Indian artists' definition of keris daggers existed during that periods, and actually were incorrect representation of how keris blades looked like.

Alan, I really like to hear you comment on this. Thank you in advance.

Penangsang

[A. G. Maisey]

Don't be so modest Pak Ganja.

Your English is very good indeed. You express yourself clearly on most occasions, and you write fluently. Our problem here is not with your English expression, it is with identifying something written in years past that we do not now accept, and looking at why we do not accept it.

What Hill wrote was based on general belief at the time he wrote it. The early writers in English, on the keris, debated various theories of origin back and forth. Some of the exchanges became pretty heated.I'm not sure exactly how the name "Keris Majapahit" arose. A point of origin for use of the term could probably be identified, but this would involve a lot of time in going back through all the mentions of this form. It might even go all the way back to that Dutch academic who found one in one of the stupas at Borobudur.In any case, it doesn't matter much at this remove who started calling these little keris, "Keris Majapahit" . They are known as that now by many, if not most collectors outside of Indonesia.

Yes, I agree that confusion could arise about the term "Keris Majapahit", but if we simply use "Keris tangguh Majapahit", when that is what we mean, there will be no confusion.It is simply a matter of saying what we mean, instead of taking shortcuts.

Your use of the phrase "stand point" confuses me. I do not know exactly what you mean here. Rather than have me guess, could you please put this thought in another way?

In essence, what Hill said was this :-

keris Majapahit are small and useless as a weapon

if Keris Majapahit are charms then it is logical that they followed rather than preceeded the keris proper

no proto-type keris of the keris proper has been found

the available evidence indicates that the keris proper was a new weapon in the 13th century

the length of a normal keris is about 12" to 16"

In the context of knowledge at the time Hill was writing, I don't think I can disagree with any of this.

We now know about the Keris Buda, we now have identified certain relief carvings, so we can point to fore-runners of the keris proper. This information was not available to Hill.

To me, its a simple thing:- these early writers saw things in light of the information they had available; we have additional information available and we see things differently. A hundred years down the track there could be more additional information available, and a different point of view to our own may prevail.

It is a simple thing:- we've moved on from Gardner, Woolley, Hill. It is no different to a medical doctor moving on from blood letting.Somebody who studies medicine does not turn to 50 or 100 year old books to further his knowledege. A serious student of the keris should study current sources if he wishes to stay abreast of current knowledge.

I would ask you to bear one thing in mind:- I started to study keris in about 1955, Hill published his paper in 1956; Gardiner published in 1936, Woolley published on origin in 1938.
I grew up on this stuff. Way back then, everybody more or less accepted as gospel that the original keris was the Keris Majapahit.
We have now expanded our knowledge, and I don't think many people believe this any longer, however, if the Keris Majapahit did exist prior to the 13th century, then it may have been a contributing factor to the form of the Modern Keris.

Our major problem is this:- we do not know if the Keris Majapahit existed pre 13th century or not.

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by PenangsangII

Thank you Alan for the pictures of the sculptures. If you dont mind telling me the probablity that the sculptures were actually made by artisans imported from India, instead of the locals.

Even after WWII, many countries imported experts from abroad in making kingdom supported sculptures. A good example in Malaysia is the "Tugu Negara", built in memorium of the soldiers sacrifices in combatting the communist terrorists. However, since the artist was imported from the U.S., the sculptures of the Malaysian soldiers look more caucasians than southeastern statures.

In a way, I was thinking, maybe the keris like objects depicted in Borobudur and Prambanan temples were actually the Indian artists' definition of keris daggers existed during that periods, and actually were incorrect representation of how keris blades looked like.

Alan, I really like to hear you comment on this. Thank you in advance.

Penangsang

Would you mind if I add some info for you? If you go to Cambodge, don't forget to visit Angkor Watt -- the most famous temple there. Who built Angkor? He was Jayawarman II (Syailendra dynasty) from Java. The pressure of new power at that time, Sriwijaya, had made the great dynasty from Java scattered abroad. The Syailendra dynasty then dominated Malay penninsula (See "L'Art de l'Asie du Sud-Est" or The Art of South-east Asia by Philip Rawson 1995), and lanced attack until Tonkin. And in Cambodge Jayawarman II brought the Indonesian culture (790 CE), and built temple about 30 km from Angkor. Jayawarman reigned until 850 CE, succeded by his son Jayawarman III until 877...

Borobudur near Jogjakarta, was built by this great dynasty of Syailendra in the same century of Angkor...

Ganjawulung